Shoulder pad



Nov. 4 1924. 1,514,459'

T. J. HARTMAN SHOULDER PAD Filed March l2, 1923 2 shuts-Sheet. l

f2/MMM Nov. 4 1924.

1,514,459 T. J. HARTMAN SHOULDER PAD F1ed March l2, 1923 2 Shoots-Sheet. 2

`ljlatented Nov. 4, 1924i.y

THOMAS J. HARTMAN, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SHOULDER PAD.

Application filed March 12, 1923. Serial No. 624,529.

i shoulder pads especially adapted for use by foot-ball players and the like, and has for its obj ect the provision of an improved construction of this character especially adapted and arranged for the protection of the arm sockets of joints of the wearer and affording perfect freedom of movement of the arms, the present invention being an improvement on that disclosed in my prior Patent No. 1,310,477 granted July 22, 1919.

Other objects willappear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will. be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings f forming a part of this specification, and in which,

Fig. 1, is a front view of a shoulder pad embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2, is an enlarged top plan view of one side thereof;

Fig. 3, is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the gap guard swung upwardly, and

Fig. 4, is a section taken on line 1 -4 of Fig. 2.

The preferred form of construction as illustrated in the drawings, comprises two lower felt strips 5 adapted to pass over the shoulders of the wearer and each carrying on its top a strip of hard leather 6 stitched thereto. The leather strips 6 are laced together by means of lacing 7 at the front and rear and suitable straps provided for secur ing the pad about the body of the wearer whereby a sort of upper jacket or large collar is provided. A shoulder joint cap, sub

stantially in shallow cup form and consisting of an upper hard leather piece 8 and a lower felt piece 10 stitched together as shown and connected by fiexible straps 9 with the corresponding edges of the shoulder strap 6, one of the shoulder joint caps being provided at each side as shown. Each shoulder joint cap is provided with a strap 11 adapt ed to pass under the arm of the wearer to hold the same in place and the inner edge 12 of each cap is made outwardly curved in ing from the spirit of the invention.

form as shown. A gap guard 13 consisting of a strip of hard leather is arranged to coverI the gap thus formed between the shoulder guard and the joint guard, said gap guard being connected by a piece of fieziible webbing 14 with the corresponding lea-ther guard 6 at a point located some distance back from the edge as shown. Y

By this arrangement a shoulder pad is provided which will afford adequate protection and at the same time permit of the greatest possible freedom of movement. The inner edges 12 of the joint caps are made outwardly curved in form so as to permit of free up ward swinging thereof as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. d. It will be noted that each leather strip 6 is necessarily upwardly curved to pass over the shoulder and this outward concavity of the inner edges of the shoulder caps permits of such upward swinging without contact with the corresponding leather guard 6. This flexibility permits the wearer to extend his arms freely upwardly. The gap guard 13 covers the gap between the shoulder cap and the main guard and thus protects the underlying parts.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable ofy variation and modification without depart- L therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a guard curved to fit on top of the shoulder, of a shoulder joint cap fieXibly connected with said guard, the inner edge of said cap being outwardly curved in form to form a recess fitting over the shoulder guard when swung upwardly, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a guard curved to fit on the top of the shoulder, of a shoulv der joint cap flexibly connected with said guard, the inner edge of said cap being outwardly curved in form to form a recess fitting over the shoulder guard when swung upwardly; and a flexibly mounted guard member overlying the gap between the shoulder guard and cap, substantially as described.

3. A shoulder pad comprising a guard Iadapted to rest on top of the shoulder, said guard consisting of a lower felt portion and an upper hard leather portion; a shoulder joint cap substantially in cup form and consisting of a lower telt portion and an upper hard leather portion, the inner edgel of said cap being outwardly curved in forum-fand a flexible strap connection between said cap and said guard, Substantially as described.

e. A shoulder pad comprising a guard adapted to rest on top or' the Shoulder, said guard consisting of a lower felt portion and an upper hard leather portion; a Shoulder joint cap substantially in cup torni and consistng or' a lower telt portion and an upper hard leather portion, the inner edge ot said cap being outwardly curved in term; a lexin ble strap connection between eaid cap and said guard; a cap guard member consisting ot a Strip ol' hard leather overlying the gaps between Said irst mentioned guard and Said cap; and a flexible strap connection between said cap guard member and said first mentioned guard member and attached to said second guard member at a distance trom the outer edge thereof, Substantially as described.

5. The combination with a shoulder guard member adapted to reet on top olf the shoulder, of a oint cap member flexibly connected with said guard member; a gap guard overlying the gap between said cap and shoulder guard members and composed of relatively still and hard material; and a flexible strap mounting for said gap guard of relatively soft and flexible material, said strap having one end secured to Said gap guard and the other end secured to one of said members at a. point located well back from the gap between the shoulder guard and the cap members, substantially as described.

G. The combination with a guard member adapted to rest upon the top oit a shoulder', or a shoulder joint cap member flexibly connected to said guard by means of a flexible strap, said shoulder guard and cap being made of a relatively still' and hard material, and said strap of relatively soft and flexible material:l a gap guard overlying the gap between said cap and shoulder guard and composed ot relatively stilll and hard material; anda flexible strap mounting tor said gap guard, said tlexibl'e strap being of comparatively sott and flexible material and atn tached to said shoulder guard at a distance 

